Rapid Watershed Assessment Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed · management status, and to analyze this information to identify those biotic elements that are . Ecosystem Acres % of

Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed (HUC8 13020203)

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Rapid Watershed Assessment Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed


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Table of Contents Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Physical Setting ............................................................................................................................... 7 Precipitation .................................................................................................................................. 11 Land Ownership ............................................................................................................................ 12 Land Use / Land Cover ................................................................................................................. 14 Hydrology ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................................................ 26 Invasive Species ............................................................................................................................ 27 Common Resource Areas ............................................................................................................. 28 Conservation ................................................................................................................................. 30 Soil Resource Inventory ................................................................................................................ 35 Socioeconomic Data ..................................................................................................................... 39 References ..................................................................................................................................... 40 List of Tables Table 1. Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed acreage distribution. ............................................... 6 Table 2. Land ownership in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed. ......................................... 13 Table 3. Extent of NLCD classes in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed. ............................ 15 Table 4. SW Region Gap analysis ecosystem acreages. ............................................................... 17 Table 5. NHD Water Course Type and Extents ............................................................................ 19 Table 6. Listed Uses. NS = Not Supporting, NA = not assessed, x = Fully Supporting ............. 22 Table 7. Possible Causes of Impairment ....................................................................................... 24 Table 8. Threatened and Endangered Plant and Animal Species. ................................................ 26 Table 9. Invasive Species Recognized by the SWEMP. ............................................................... 27 Table 10. 5 year Trends in Applied Conservation Practices. Reported in Acres. ........................ 32 Table 11. 5 Year Trends in Location Specific Applied Conservation Practices. Reported in Feet if Linear (i.e. Fence) ...................................................................................................................... 34 Table 12. Criteria Used for Soil Erosion Susceptibility Model. ................................................... 36 Table 13. Soil Erosion Potential Model Results. A greater rank indicates greater potential for erosion. .......................................................................................................................................... 38 Table 14. Socioeconomic Data of the Counties in the Watershed (2010) .................................... 39


List of Figures Figure 1. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Overview ............................................................ 5 Figure 2. Hydrologic Soils Group .................................................................................................. 9 Figure 3. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Shaded Relief .................................................... 10 Figure 4. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Annual Precipitation. ........................................ 11 Figure 5. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Land Ownership. .............................................. 12 Figure 6. Subset of the National Land Cover Dataset over the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed. .................................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 7. Subset of the SWREGAP over the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed. The 20 dominant ecosystems are displayed in the legend. ....................................................................... 16 Figure 8. National Hydrologic Dataset (NHD) of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque. ....................... 18 Figure 9. Gauging Stations in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed ..................................... 20 Figure 10. Monthly Average of Mean Daily Flow on the Rio Grande at bridge near Escondida, NM. Period of Observation: October 2005 to September 2011. ................................................. 21 Figure 11. 303(d) Impaired waters (numbers reference Table 6 Stream Reaches) ..................... 23 Figure 12. Declared Groundwater Basins of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque. ............................... 25 Figure 13. Common Resource Areas of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque ....................................... 28 Figure 14. National Cooperative Soil Survey coverage of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Figure 15. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Erosion Potential ............................................. 37


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Overview

Figure 1. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Overview


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Overview The Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed is located in north central New Mexico. It covers 2,057,543 total acres (8,327 sq. km). Portions of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed extend into Bernalillo, Sandoval, Valencia, Socorro, and Torrance counties. Table 1 summarizes the distribution of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed.

Table 1. Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed acreage distribution.

County Acres Total

Acres in HUC

% of HUC in County

% of County in HUC

Bernalillo 747,774 444,260 22 59

Sandoval 2,377,011 163,775 8 7

Socorro 4,255,339 914,781 44 21

Torrance 2,139,990 142,614 7 7

Valencia 683,583 392,113 19 57

Sum (∑) -- 2,057,543 100 --


Physical Setting Geology: 1 The watershed is part of the Rio Grande Rift physiographic province from the confluence with the Jemez River to San Marcial. The rift is a graben with fault block mountains forming the eastern and western boundaries. Mountains to the west are usually volcanic in origin and to the east volcanic or sedimentary. The mountain ranges consist of Paleoproterozoic Eon aged granitic plutons or quartzite; Tertiary Period aged volcanic (basalt, basaltic-andesite or rhyolite); and Paleoproterozoic Eon aged or earlier volcanic or metamorphic rocks. Pennsylvanian limestone, shale and sandstone occur in a few outcrops on the west side of the pre-Cambrian massif. The valley floors consist of Tertiary Period partly compacted sands and gravels of the Santa Fe group or Quaternary Period alluvium. The Santa Fe Group consists of alluvial fans, river channel deposits and inter-bedded volcanic rocks preserved in a complex of depressed fault blocks within the Rio Grande depression. The ancestral Middle Rio Grande developed into a single river system about 5 million years ago (Crawford et al. 1993). Incision of the Middle Rio Grande Valley has been cyclic, and has produced gravel, sand, and silt terraces 9 to 53 meters (m) (30 to 175 feet (ft)) above the current floodplain. The Rio Grande is thought to have reached maximum entrenchment between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, at a depth 18 to 40 m (60 to 130 ft) below the current valley floor. Since that time, sediment influx from tributaries has resulted in a gradual aggradation of the river bed. Historically, this process led to frequent avulsions of the river channel. The historic river channel was braided and sinuous with a shifting sand substrate that freely migrated across the floodplain, limited only by valley terraces and bedrock outcroppings (Crawford et al. 1993). Resource concerns are high sediment erosion and water runoff. In addition the lowering of valleys by river incision is a continuing process. Many valleys are flanked by terraces. Rivers respond by aggrading during climates that promote large sediment yield and large, stable discharges; and incise during climates that produce flashy flows and reduce the sediment supply. This can be exasperated by the mining of sand and gravel from the river channels. Groundwater quality and quantity is a concern. Groundwater occurs to a greater or lesser extent in all of these geologic units. The most significant aquifer is the Santa Fe Group, particularly its lower member, the Tesuque Formation. The upper member, the Ancha, is typically more conductive than the Tesuque but occurs above the water table in much of the Santa Fe watershed. Deeper groundwater is nearly continuous in the Tesuque Formation throughout the watershed area, to depths of 2000 feet or greater in some areas. This deep groundwater dates from the Ice Age and is recharged little if at all by present-day rainfall and snowmelt. Volcanics often serve as a “floor” or channel to concentrate percolating groundwater and cause it to emerge as spring flow.


Depth to groundwater is a concern if the shallow unconfined aquifer does not produce enough water for the resource or increased population demands are ‘mining’ the water. Groundwater in the igneous rocks and volcanics is usually along fracture zones which are hard to intercept with water wells. Groundwater quality ranges from good to poor for livestock or crops. Soils: Hydrologic soil groups are based on estimates of runoff potential. Soils are assigned to one of four groups according to the rate of water infiltration when the soils are not protected by vegetation, are thoroughly wet, and receive precipitation from long-duration storms. The soils in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed are assigned to four groups (A, B, C, and D).

Group A. Soils having a high infiltration rate (low runoff potential) when thoroughly wet. These consist mainly of deep, well drained to excessively drained sands or gravelly sands. These soils have a high rate of water transmission.

Group B. Soils having a moderate infiltration rate when thoroughly wet. These consist chiefly of moderately deep or deep, moderately well drained or well drained soils that have moderately fine texture to moderately coarse texture. These soils have a moderate rate of water transmission.

Group C. Soils having a slow infiltration rate when thoroughly wet. These consist chiefly of soils having a layer that impedes the downward movement of water or soils of moderately fine texture or fine texture. These soils have a slow rate of water transmission.

Group D. Soils having a very slow infiltration rate (high runoff potential) when thoroughly wet. These consist chiefly of clays that have a high shrink-swell potential, soils that have a high water table, soils that have a claypan or clay layer at or near the surface, and soils that are shallow over nearly impervious material. These soils have a very slow rate of water transmission.


Figure 2. Hydrologic Soils Group


Figure 3. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Shaded Relief


Precipitation 2

Figure 4. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Annual Precipitation.


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Land Ownership 3

Figure 5. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Land Ownership.


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Land Ownership COUNTY BLM DoD FS Indian/

Tribal NPS Private State State G&F

State Park USFWS

Bernalillo 1 32,010 66,145 95,415 7,098 223,890 15,375 4,327

Sandoval 557 704 10,576 27,843 115,833 8,145 117

Socorro 229,961 8,731 51,006 356,351 50,829 5,525 52 212,327

Torrance 2,269 48,625 16,308 56,544 18,869

Valencia 70 15,913 68,038 299,660 7,567 880 Watershed

(∑) 232,858 41,445 192,265 207,604 7,098 1,052,278 100,785 6,405 4,496 212,327

% Watershed 11 2 9 10 <1 51 5 <1 <1 10 Table 2. Land ownership in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed.


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Land Use / Land Cover 4,5

Figure 6. Subset of the National Land Cover Dataset over the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed.


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Land Use / Land Cover

Table 3. Extent of NLCD classes in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed.

Land use / Land cover Acres % of Watershed

Shrubland 1,300,974 63

Grasslands, Herbaceous 233,498 11

Evergreen Forest 218,654 11

High Intensity Residential 69,616 3

Low Intensity Residential 68,014 3

Row crops 43,001 2

Woody Wetlands 40,478 2

Pasture/hay 31,639 2

Commercial/Industrial/Transportation 28,476 1

Bare Rocks/Sand/Clay 12,649 1

Open Water 6,698 <1

Deciduous forest 3,168 <1

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produced the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) as part of a cooperative project between the USGS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The goal of this project was to produce a consistent land cover data layer for the conterminous United States. The Multi Resolution Land Characterization (MRLC) Consortium collected the data used to compile the NLCD. The MRLC Consortium is a partnership of Federal agencies that produce or use land cover data; partners include the UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (National Mapping, Biological Resources, and Water Resources Divisions), USEPA, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.



Figure 7. Subset of the SWREGAP over the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed. The 20 dominant ecosystems are displayed in the legend.


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Ecosystem Acres % of Watershed

Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland 420,233 20 Apacherian-Chihuahuan Piedmont Semi-Desert Grassland and Steppe 344,589 17 Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland 164,324 8 Chihuahuan Creosotebush, Mixed Desert and Thorn Scrub 138,688 7 Inter-Mountain Basins Active and Stabilized Dune 115,616 6 Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland 106,563 5 Developed, Medium - High Intensity 104,896 5 Southern Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodland and Savanna 101,458 5 Developed, Open Space - Low Intensity 85,217 4 Western Great Plains Riparian Woodland and Shrubland 55,975 3 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub Steppe 55,681 3 Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland 55,523 3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland 46,701 2 Agriculture 46,074 2 Apacherian-Chihuahuan Mesquite Upland Scrub 30,452 1 Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland 25,994 1 North American Warm Desert Active and Stabilized Dune 18,668 1 Rocky Mountain Montane Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland

18,540 1

Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub 18,254 1 Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe 17,539 1

Table 4. SW Region Gap analysis ecosystem acreages.

The landcover mapping effort for the Southwest Region Gap Analysis Project was a coordinated multi-institution endeavor. This dataset was created for regional terrestrial biodiversity assessment. Additional objectives were to establish a coordinated mapping approach to create detailed, seamless maps of land cover, all native terrestrial vertebrate species, land stewardship, and management status, and to analyze this information to identify those biotic elements that are underrepresented on lands managed for their long term conservation.


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Hydrology6, 7, 8, 9, 10 The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a comprehensive set of data that encodes information about naturally occurring and constructed bodies of water, paths through which water flows, and related entities. The NHD identifies 7,180 miles (11,555 km) of water courses in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque River Watershed. The majority of these courses typically flow intermittently in summer months during periods associated with high intensity convective thunderstorms.

Figure 8. National Hydrologic Dataset (NHD) of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque.


Water Course Type Miles

Artificial path 549

Connector 1

Canal / Ditch 1,038

Intermittent Stream / River 5,528

Perennial Stream / River 35

Pipeline 29

Sum (∑) 7,180

Table 5. NHD Water Course Type and Extents


There are 26 water gauging stations in the watershed. USGS Site 08355050 is the Rio Grande at Bridge near Escondida, NM. During the period 2006 – 2011, this site has had mean annual discharge of 773 cubic feet per second ranging from 344 (2011) to 1,283 (2008) cubic feet per second.

Figure 9. Gauging Stations in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed


Hydrology ___

Figure 10. Monthly Average of Mean Daily Flow on the Rio Grande at bridge near Escondida, NM. Period of Observation: October 2005 to September 2011.

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Series1


The New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission (NMWQCC) is the issuing agency of water quality standards for interstate and intrastate waters in New Mexico. The NMWQCC has defined the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed as part of the Rio Grande River Basin.

Within the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed, there are no bodies of water that are listed as impaired as of the 2010-12 listing cycle. The river and stream reaches total 186.74 miles (300.53 km).

The Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed has the following reaches listed as 303 (d) Impaired Surface Waters:

1. Rio Grande (Isleta Pueblo bnd to Alameda Bridge)

2. Rio Grande (non-pueblo Alameda Bridge to HWY 550 Bridge)

3. Rio Grande (Rio Puerco to Isleta Pueblo bnd)

4. Rio Grande (San Marcial at USGS gage to Rio Puerco)

5. Tijeras Arroyo (Rio Grande to headwaters)

The listed uses for these reaches have been designated in Table 6.

Use 1 2 3 4 5

high quality coldwater aquatic life

marginal coldwater aquatic life

Irrigation/irrigation storage X X X X

domestic water supply

livestock watering X X X X X

wildlife habitat X X X X X

marginal warmwater aquatic life X X NS NS NS

Primary Contact X

Secondary Contact X X NS NS

Fish culture

Limited Aquatic Life

Industrial Water Supply

Municipal Water Supply Table 6. Listed Uses. NS = Not Supporting, NA = not assessed, x = Fully Supporting


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Figure 11. 303(d) Impaired waters (numbers reference Table 6 Stream Reaches)


Hydrology Under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes, are required to develop lists of impaired waters. These are waters for which technology-based regulations and other required controls are not stringent enough to meet the water quality standards set by states. The law requires that states establish priority rankings for waters on the lists and develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), for these waters. A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still safely meet water quality standards. Within the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed, there are no bodies of water that are listed as impaired as of the 2010-12 listing cycle. The river and stream reaches total 186.74 miles (300.53 km). Table 7. Possible Causes of Impairment

Impairment Probable Causes of Impairment 1 2 3 4 5

Ambient Bioassays – Acute Aquatic Toxicity X Aluminum X

E. Coli X X X X Benthic-Macroinvertebrate Bioassessments

(Streams) X

Nutrient/Eutrophication X PCB’s X X

Oxygen, dissolved X X Temperature X X


Figure 12. Declared Groundwater Basins of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque. A declared groundwater basin is an area of the state proclaimed by the State Engineer to be underlain by a groundwater source having reasonably ascertainable boundaries. By such proclamation the State Engineer assumes jurisdiction over the appropriation and use of groundwater from the source. The Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed is mainly within the Middle Rio Grande (2,031,314 acres), and also the Sandia (15,923 acres), and Estancia (8,782 acres) Underground Water Basins.


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Threatened and Endangered Species 11 Endangered species are those that are at risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its native range. A threatened species is one that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. The New Mexico Natural Heritage program tracks the status of threatened and endangered species which are listed on both federal and state lists. Table 8 lists those species which are currently listed and tracked in the Rio Grande-Albuquerque River Watershed.

Table 8. Threatened and Endangered Plant and Animal Species.

Common Name Scientific Name Tax.Class Family Fed Status

State Status

Chupadera Springsnail

Pyrgulopsis chupaderae C E

Socorro Isopod Thermosphaeroma thermophilum LE E

Socorro Springsnail Pyrgulopsis neomexicana LE E

Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Hybognathus amarus Actinopterygii Cyprinidae LE E

Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Aves Accipitridae T

Common Black-Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Aves Accipitridae T

Piping Plover Charadrius melodus Aves Charadriidae LE,LT T

Whooping Crane Grus americana Aves Gruidae LE E Mexican Spotted

Owl Strix occidentalis

lucida Aves Strigidae LT

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii extimus Aves Tyrannidae LE E

Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii Aves Vireonidae T

Gray Vireo Vireo vicinior Aves Vireonidae T

Pecos Sunflower Helianthus paradoxus Dicotyledoneae Asteraceae LT E New Mexican

Jumping Mouse Zapus hudsonius luteus Mammalia Dipodidae E

Spotted Bat Euderma maculatum Mammalia Vespertilionidae T

http://www.bison-m.org/booklet.aspx?id=060260&sections=A


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Pyrgulopsis+chupaderae

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Pyrgulopsis+chupaderae


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Thermosphaeroma+thermophilum

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Thermosphaeroma+thermophilum


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Pyrgulopsis+neomexicana

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Pyrgulopsis+neomexicana



http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Hybognathus+amarus


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Haliaeetus+leucocephalus

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Haliaeetus+leucocephalus


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Buteogallus+anthracinus

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Buteogallus+anthracinus


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Charadrius+melodus


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Grus+americana



http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Empidonax+traillii+extimus

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Empidonax+traillii+extimus

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Vireo+bellii


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Vireo+vicinior

http://nmrareplants.unm.edu/rarelist_single.php?SpeciesID=95

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Helianthus+paradoxus



http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Zapus+hudsonius+luteus


http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Euderma+maculatum


Invasive Species 12

Invasive species are those which have been introduced into a region or ecosystem and have the ability to out-compete native species for resources (i.e. water, nutrients, sunlight, etc.) The Southwest Exotic Plant Mapping Program (SWEMP) is a collaborative effort between the United States Geological Survey and federal, tribal, state, county and non-government organization partners in the southwest which maintains ongoing efforts to compile and distribute regional data on the occurrence of non-native invasive plants in the southwestern United States. Within the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed, the SWEMP has identified 9 species of invasive plants (Table 9). Each of these species is defined as non-native by the USDA PLANTS database.

Scientific Name Common Name Peganum harmala L.

African Rue

Alhagi pseudalhagi (Bieb) Desv. Camelthorn

Scrophylariaceae (Figwort Family) Dalmatian Toadflax

Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. Hoary Cress (Whitetop)

Carduus natuans L. Musk Thistle

Lepidium latifolium L. Perennial Pepperweed (Tall Whitetop)

Lythrum salicaria L. Purple Loosestrife

Acroptilon repens L. Russian Knapweed

Linaria vulgaris Mill. Yellow Toadflax Table 9. Invasive Species Recognized by the SWEMP.

http://www.invasiveweeds.com/dirty/african_rue/welcome.html

http://www.invasiveweeds.com/dirty/camelthorn/welcome.html

http://www.invasiveweeds.com/dirty/camelthorn/welcome.html

http://www.invasiveweeds.com/dirty/hoary_cress/welcome.html

http://www.invasiveweeds.com/dirty/perennial_pepperweed/welcome.html

http://www.invasiveweeds.com/dirty/purple_loosestrife/welcome.html


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Common Resource Areas13

A Common Resource Area (CRA) is defined as a geographical area where resource concerns, problems, or treatment needs are similar. It is considered a subdivision of an existing Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) designation. Landscape conditions, soil, climate, human considerations, and other natural resource information are used to determine the geographic boundaries of a Common Resource Area.

Each Common Resource Area will have multiple Conservation System Guides associated with it. A Conservation System Guide associates, for a given CRA and land use, different components of Resource Management Systems and their individual effect on conserving soil and water resources.

Figure 13. Common Resource Areas of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque


Common Resource Areas 35.1 – Colorado Plateau Mixed Grass Plains This unit occurs within the Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province and is characterized by flat to gently dipping sedimentary rocks eroded into plateaus, valleys and deep canyons. 36.2 – Southwest Plateaus, Mesas, and Foothills – Warm Semiarid Mesas and Plateaus This area encompasses the lower elevation mesas and plateaus. The temperature regime is mesic and the moisture regime is transitional from ustic to aridic. Vegetation is typically twoneedle pinyon, Utah juniper, and big sagebrush. Cropland is a significant land use in parts of this area, particularly on soils formed in thick deposits of eolian material. Precipitation ranges from 10 to about 16 inches. Elevations range from about 6,000 to 7.000 feet. 39.2 – Central New Mexico Mountains This unit occurs within the Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province and is characterized by volcanic fields and gently dipping sedimentary rocks eroded into plateaus, valleys and deep canyons. Elevations range from 7000 to 12000 feet. Precipitation ranges 17 to 25 inches per year. The soil temperature regime ranges from mesic to frigid. Vegetation includes corkbark, Douglas and white fir, Englemann spruce, pinyon and southwestern white pine, and aspen. Grasslands include tufted hairgrass, sedges, and Arizona and Thurber fescue. 42.1 – Upper Rio Grande Rift Valley This unit occurs within the Basin and Range Physiographic Province and contains the upper Rio Grande Rift Valley. Elevations range from 4500 to 5500 feet. Precipitation ranges from 8 to 11 inches per year. The soil temperature regime ranges thermic to mesic. The soil moisture regime is typic aridic. Indian ricegrass, New Mexico feathergrass, galleta, blue grama and bottlebrush squirreltail characterize vegetation in the cooler portions. Warmer portions include black grama and tobosa. Alkali sacaton, dropseed and threeawns are common. 42.2 – Chihuahuan Desert Shrubs This unit occurs within the Basin and Range Physiographic Province and is characterized by valley plains, alluvial fans, and mountains. Sediments are from fluvial, lacustrine, colluvial and alluvial deposits. Igneous and metamorphic rock dominate the mountain ranges. Elevations range from 3800 to 5200 feet. Precipitation ranges from 8 to 10 inches per year. The soil temperature regime is thermic. The soil moisture regime is typic aridic. Vegetation includes Creosote, tarbush, soaptree yucca, torrey yucca, tobosa, and alkali sacaton.. 70C.1 – Central New Mexico Highlands Tablelands and mesas separated by broad plains and small terraces characterize this area. Elevation is 5,000 to 7,200 feet and precipitation is 12 to 17 inches. The soil moisture regime is aridic to ustic and the soil temperature regime is mesic. Pinyon-juniper savannah and pinyon juniper woodlands at higher elevations, and broad mid- to short-grass prairies and basins at lower elevations dominate the area. Current land use is livestock grazing. The soils formed in Quaternary alluvium, eolian sands, and sedimentary rocks of Permian age. (Old CP-3)


Conservation 14

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) focuses on the development and delivery of high quality products and services that enable people to be good stewards of our Nation’s soil, water, and related natural related resources on non-Federal lands. The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s conservation programs aid agricultural producers in their efforts to reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters. Public benefits include enhanced natural resources that help sustain agricultural productivity and environmental quality while supporting continued economic development, recreation, and scenic beauty.


Conservation Practice

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 TOTAL

# Acres # Acres # Acres # Acres # Acres # Acres

Atmospheric Resource Quality Mgmt

2 9 2 9

Brush Management 6 621 9 649 12 1207 9 335 1 1800 37 4612

Conservation Crop Rotation 47 310 33 453 69 241 20 360 45 1055 214 2419

Cover Crop 1 1 1 1 Critical Area Planting 4 20 1 6 5 26

Forage and Biomass Planting 40 144 53 300 14 96 52 423 11 15 170 978

Forage Harvest Management 49 197 21 122 39 129 40 200 20 130 169 778

Integrated Pest Management 80 382 67 678 111 344 35 519 52 1386 345 3309

Irrigation Land Leveling 103 2795 88 622 34 336 64 1215 29 177 318 5145

Irrigation System, Microirrigation 6 57 2 25 4 5 6 75 18 162

Irrigation System, Sprinkler 3 2 5 36 3 57 11 95

Irrigation System, Surface and Subsurface

4 52 14 281 11 220 3 35 32 588

Irrigation Water Management 97 471 74 749 126 616 160 2592 66 527 523 4955

Nutrient Management 83 745 70 779 111 338 42 657 38 1059 344 3578

Prescribed Grazing 34 784 33 21394 17 9362 12 2901 16 13708 112 48149

Residue and Tillage Mgmt, No-Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed

1 104 3 15 4 119

Residue Mgmt, Seasonal 36 238 29 301 69 259 57 1083 22 300 213 2181

Restoration and Mgmt of Rare and Declining Habitats

1 55 1 55

Riparian Herbaceous Cover 1 1 1 1

Tree/Shrub Establishment 10 6 6 130 1 1 4 8 21 145

Upland Wildlife Habitat 15 8058 33 28846 103 21519 123 42880 24 1549 298 102852


Management

Waste Recycling 1 1 1 15 2 16 Wetland Enhancement 1 1 28 183 29 184

Wetland Restoration 1 1 30 235 31 236

Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management

4 20 1 1 24 122 29 143

SUM (∑) 623 14904 521 55154 732 34780 727 54157 327 21741 2930 180736 Table 10. 5 year Trends in Applied Conservation Practices. Reported in Acres.


Conservation Practice 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 TOTAL # Feet # Feet # Feet # Feet # Feet # Feet

Above-Ground, Multi-Outlet Pipeline 2 1390 2 1390 Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan 1 2 1 3 7 0 Conservation Completion Incentive First Year 12 3 15 0 Conservation Completion Incentive Second Year 1 1 0 Dike 2 1075 2 1075 Diversion 1 1 0 Fence 2 200 3 6525 10 15033 1 2961 16 24719 Fishpond Management 2 2 0 Grade Stabilization Structure 2 2 0 Irrigation Ditch Lining 3 2001 3 2001 Irrigation Pipeline 4 3425 4 3425 Irrigation Water Conveyance, Ditch and Canal Lining, plain concrete

14 13655 19 24280 11 12871 8 6607 22 15004 74 72417

Irrigation Water Conveyance, Pipeline, High-Pressure, Underground, Plastic

9 700 28 13012 6 888 28 25509 8 4330 79 44439

Irrigation Water Conveyance, Pipeline, Low-Pressure, Underground, Plastic

19 7420 21 19964 8 3121 17 9775 10 5723 75 46003

Irrigation Water Conveyance, Pipeline, Steel

3 139 2 40 1 120 6 299

Pipeline 3 10080 3 18766 4 2053 10 30899 Pond 1 2 3 0 Pond Sealing or Lining, Flexible Membrane 1 1 1 3 0 Pumping Plant 5 2 2 2 11 0 Sediment Basin 1 1 0 Structure for Water Control 45 32 19 42 33 171 0 Waste Storage Facility 1 1 2 0 Waste Transfer 1 1 2 0 Waste Treatment Lagoon 2 2 0 Water Well 2 1 2 5 0 Watering Facility 32 17 9 13 10 81 0


Windbreak/Shelterbelt Estab. 2 2000 3 1405 5 3405 Windbreak/Shelterbelt Renovate 1 800 1 800 SUM (∑) 121 33269 116 63821 62 31913 110 62047 90 35617 499 226667

Table 11. 5 Year Trends in Location Specific Applied Conservation Practices. Reported in Feet if Linear (i.e. Fence)


35

Soil Resource Inventory 15

Figure 14. National Cooperative Soil Survey coverage of the Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed

The Rio Grande-Santa Fe Watershed has a number of certified National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) inventories. The National Forests in New Mexico mostly are not covered, but have soils information available through their Terrestrial Ecosystem Unit Inventories. These will be integrated with the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) inventories in the next few years.


Soil Resource Inventory

In order to evaluate the susceptibility of erosion within the Rio Grande-Albuquerque watershed, a model was developed using Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) information. The soil properties saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil loss tolerance, and wind erodibility group were used in conjunction with slope to assess soil mapunit potential for erosion. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and slope are reported in SSURGO databases as interval/ratio data whereas wind erodibility and soil loss tolerance are ordinal data. Data transformations for the model are listed -

Table 12. Criteria Used for Soil Erosion Susceptibility Model.

SSURGO Value Nominal Description Model Rank

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity

µm / s 705.0 - 100.0 Very High 0 100.0 - 10.0 High 1

10.0 - 1.0 Moderately High 2 1.0 - 0.1 Moderately Low 3 0.1 - 0.01 Low 4 Slope %

0 - 5 0 6 - 10 1

11 - 15 2 16 - 25 3

> 25 4 Soil Loss Tolerance

5 High Tolerance For loss 0 4 ↓ 1 3 ↓ 2 2 ↓ 3 1 Low Tolerance For Loss 4

Wind Erodibility Group 1 Very High 4 2 Very High 4 3 High 3 4 High 3 4L High 3 5 Moderate 2 6 Moderate 2 7 Moderate 1 8 Slight 0


37


For each soil map unit (discrete delineation), the soil properties (named above) of the dominant soil type was used as the condition to be evaluated in the susceptibility to erosion model. Miscellaneous areas such as gravel pits, water, riverwash, etc. were excluded from evaluation. Possible range of values for each map unit are 0 – 16. Increasing values represent a higher susceptibility to soil erosion. Forest Service Soils are not able to be included in the model at this time.

Figure 15. Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed Erosion Potential



Table 13. Soil Erosion Potential Model Results. A greater rank indicates greater potential for erosion.

Rank Acres 1 3,245

2 50,814

3 32,274

4 257,972

5 681,185

6 213,913

7 111,375

8 62,540

9 170,192

10 104,858

11 153,606

12 53,918

13 8,272

Sum( ∑) 1,904,164


39

Socioeconomic Data 16

COUNTY

Total population:

Total

Total population: Hispanic or Latino

Total population:

White alone

Total population:

Black or African

American alone

Total population: American Indian and

Alaska Native alone

Total population:

Asian alone

Total population:

Native Hawaiian and Other

Pacific Islander

alone

Total population:

Some other race

alone

Total population:

Two or more races

Families: Median family

income 2010

Bernalillo 662,564 317,089 459,660 19,652 31,744 15,525 695 105,847 29,441 $47,624

Sandoval 131,561 46,129 89,482 2,800 16,945 1,922 169 15,139 5,104 $51,959

Socorro 17,866 8,664 13,424 188 2,082 219 8 1,442 503 NA

Torrance 16,383 6,399 12,460 219 383 71 8 2,535 707 NA

Valencia 76,569 44,605 56,027 1,071 2,915 406 55 13,046 3,049 $49,270

Table 14. Socioeconomic Data of the Counties in the Watershed (2010).


40

References 1. New Mexico Environmental Department-Surface Water Quality Bureau (SWQB) http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/swqb/RioGrande/ 2. Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM).PRISM is a unique knowledge-based system that uses point measurements of precipitation, temperature, and other climatic factors to produce continuous, digital grid estimates of monthly, yearly, and event-based climatic parameters. http://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/ 3. Bureau of Land Management – New Mexico State Office. - http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/more/geographic_sciences/spatial_data_metadata.html 4. UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY - National Land Cover Dataset. http://landcover.United States Geological Survey.gov/ 5. Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (SWReGAP). http://earth.gis.usu.edu/swgap/ 6. UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY – National Hydrography Dataset. http://nhd.United States Geological Survey.gov/ 7. UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY – National Water Information System. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/nwisman/?site_no=08355050&agency_cd=USGS 8. State of New Mexico Clean Water Act 303(d)/305(b) Integrated Report ftp://ftp.nmenv.state.nm.us/www/swqb/303d-305b/2010/USEPA-Approved303dList.pdf 9. United States Environmental Protection Agency - http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=13020203 10. New Mexico - Office of the State Engineer- http://www.ose.state.nm.us/water_info_data.html 11. New Mexico Natural Heritage Program - http://nhnm.unm.edu/ 12. Southwest Exotic Plant Mapping Program - http://www.invasiveweeds.com/mapping/welcome.html 13. Natural Resources Conservation Service – Common Resource Area (CRA) Geographic Database http://soils.usda.gov/survey/geography/cra.html 14. Natural Resources Conservation Service – Performance Results System http://ias.sc.egov.usda.gov/PRSHOME/ 15. Natural Resources Conservation Service – Soil Data Mart http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/

http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/swqb/RioGrande/

http://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/

http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/more/geographic_sciences/spatial_data_metadata.html

http://landcover.usgs.gov/

http://earth.gis.usu.edu/swgap/

http://nhd.usgs.gov/

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/nwisman/?site_no=08353000&agency_cd=USGS

ftp://ftp.nmenv.state.nm.us/www/swqb/303d-305b/2010/USEPA-Approved303dList.pdf

http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=13020203

http://www.ose.state.nm.us/water_info_data.html

http://nhnm.unm.edu/

http://www.invasiveweeds.com/mapping/welcome.html

http://soils.usda.gov/survey/geography/cra.html

http://ias.sc.egov.usda.gov/PRSHOME/

http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/

16. United States Census Bureau - http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

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Rapid Watershed Assessment Rio Grande-Albuquerque Watershed · management status, and to analyze this information to identify those biotic elements that are . Ecosystem Acres % of